Classic case of tools vs obp/production. Yes Paredes has a potentially higher upside but Altuve put up an .800 OPS for the better part of a ML season. That can't be ignored. Paredes's problem is that he can't take a walk worth crap. If he solves that problem (not an easy fix) then he'd be a all-star level 2B prospect.
Trope has a 3.30 era in 5 starts/30 innings in HiA. His peripherals are awesome too: 9k/9ip 30:9 K:BB Small sample size but if he can keep this up for the rest of the year he'll be a shoe-in for Corpus next spring.
No doubt Altuve is very very good at what he does which is mainly with the bat. Paredes just has this explosive game that, if he stays at 2B, has a lot of Brandon Phillips-like potential. If I remember early on, Phillips also had a problem taking walks(albeit maybe not as extreme as JimmyP). But the potential to hit for power, drive in runs, and wreak havoc stealing bases, is very exciting. The best case scenario would be for both guys playing together because they would seriously start a nice foundation to build around. Little discouraged that Paredes isn't seeing time in the OF already though.
Possibly. I expect him to have a hiccup or two in AA. He's good but he's not 'ascend four full-season levels in two seasons' good. I could be wrong though.
Lance McCullers is on the mound for the GCLstros against the Marlins. It's a rematch of last Thursday's game, when the Astros were perfect gamed by Magnolia native and former Sam Houston State pitcher Justin Jackson, who happens to be the starter for the Marlins today.
asdadfdfsadfsdfgsdfds <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>BREAKING: Houston Astros #1 pick Carlos Correa hits his 2nd professional HR in 1st inning of today's GCL game.2 in 2 days.<a href="https://twitter.com/search/%2523prospect">#prospect</a></p>— The Prospect Guy (@TheProspectGuy) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheProspectGuy/status/228159144086106112" data-datetime="2012-07-25T16:05:53+00:00">July 25, 2012</a></blockquote> <script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The Gulf Coast League is the lowest form of minor league baseball there is in the US. It's a glorified version of extended spring training. So, admission is free, although 10-15 people showing up is a good day. No TV coverage. Box score and their idea of Gamecast
The 4 Top-100 guys we drafted out of HS are the ones getting it done today. McCullers with a solid outing, Correa with a HR, Ruiz with a triple, and Phillips with a hit.
FWIW, Buxton is hitting around .180, so he's struggling much like Correa has so far. The big star has been Mike Zunino, the catcher from the U of Florida. 1.243 OPS, .375 average and 4 bombs already. 6 BB, only 7 Ks Addison Russell (SS selected in 1st round by the A's) is also killing it, with a 1.279 OPS
Very nice stats for both of them. I wonder why Zunino got his start in short-season ball instead of full-season class A. Even his teammate Fontana started in full-season ball. You'd figure a 2012 Golden Spikes winner would get aggressive promotion. For Russell, he's got sick numbers but I'm weary of production in the Arizona rookie league. That league is the rookie-equivalent of the California league only worse. D'Andre Toney hit .340/.432/.587 in the Arizona league last year and is hitting .242/.326/.325 in the hitter neutral appalachian league (Rookie-advanced). He definitely is one to follow though.
With our recent influx of arms our 2013 rotations, my guess anyhow Hou SP Bud Norris SP Lucas Harrell SP Jordan Lyles SP Dallas Keuchel SP Rudy Owens OKC SP Jarred Cosart SP Brett Olberholtzer SP Jose Cisnero SP Asher Wojciechowski CC SP Colton Cain SP Rob Rasmussen SP Nick Tropeano SP Mike Foltynewicz That leaves 3 pitchers who are having good years(Doran,Seaton,Musick) for 2 spots. The fact that all 10 slots will be taken by actual prospects is nice for a change. I'm also assuming Lancasters rotation will be repeaters and a few of the Tri-City boys Thats a whole bunch of young arms, bound to hit on a few. Not a lot of blue-chippers, but those are hard to find. The buckshot approach is a good alternative.
I figure it's bullpen time for clemens, thats always been a likely outcome for him. He has the stuff to be a dominant reliever. Don't think they'll send folty to Lancaster, we never send bg prospects there.
The first test in the Luhnow era was NiTro, and he is went there. Wade skipped Lancaster out of necessity. He didn't have the talent to fill the rosters and the team was pushing these guys through the system.
Wednesday's Top Story The streak is over!!! Recap OKC took down Iowa 10-8, but the game got really hairy as Jake Buchanan managed to get 2 outs in the 9th, but got torched in the process, allowing 4 runs (1 inherited) on 5 hits in the inning. Jose Valdez cleaned up the mess to get his 14th save of the season. Brett Oberholtzer went 7 innings and allowed 4 runs (3 earned) on 7 hits, walked 1, and struck out 5. Mickey Storey walked 1 and struck out the side in the 8th. Brandon Barnes went 2-5 with a double and 3 RBI (fielder's choice and 2-run single), while Fernando Martinez went 2-5 with a 2-run single. Chris Wallace went 3-4 with 3 RBI, coming on a 2-run single in the 4th and another RBI single in the 5th. J.B. Shuck drew a bases-loaded walk as a pinch-hitter. Corpus dropped the middle game of their series to San Antonio 5-1, despite getting 10 hits. A Drew Locke sac fly was all the Hooks had on offense. He finished 2-3. Jose Martinez went 2-4 and scored the one run, and Jake Goebbert was 3-4 with a double. Rob Rasmussen allowed 3 runs on 5 hits, walked 4, and fanned 2 in 4 innings. The Missions tacked on 2 more off Henry Villar. Finally, Lancaster won a game in Lake Elsinore. And they probably had to, considering that this was the 2nd-to-last game they would play there. After there was no scoring in regulation, the Jethawks put 3 on the board courtesy of a 2-run triple from Alex Todd and a sac fly from Grant Hogue. The 3-0 score would hold up, as Andrew Robinson worked around a triple from Everett Williams in the bottom half by striking out the side. Robinson came on with 1 out in the 9th to bail out Jose Trinidad and ended up getting all 5 of his outs via strikeout. David Martinez threw 7 shutout innings, allowing 7 hits and striking out 4. Carlos Perez went 0-3 with 2 strikeouts, but he caught 3 stealers and picked off another. Lexington won their 6th straight by defeating Augusta 9-5. Juri Perez fell behind 3-1, but he eventually settled down, getting 5 innings. He allowed 3 runs on 5 hits (2-run homer), walked 4, and struck out 4. The top third (Delino DeShields, Ruben Sosa, and Zach Johnson) each drove in a run, while the bottom third (Nolan Fontana, Jordan Scott, and Luis Alvarez) combined for 6 RBI. The middle of the order got a 3-5 night from Matt Duffy. A 5-run 5th put the momentum in the Legends' hands, as Fontana (who walked and scored 3 times) and Scott drew bases-loaded walks. Alvarez hit a 2-run single, and DeShields sent Scott home with an RBI single. Tom Shirley went 3 innings and allowed a run on 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 4. Nathan Pettus allowed 1 in the 9th, but finished it off. In a battle of the 2 best teams in the New York-Penn League, Tri-City fell 10-9 in 12 innings against Hudson Valley after blowing a 9-3 lead. Vince Velasquez was roughed up in the 1st and then settled down nicely. In 5 innings, he allowed 3 runs (all in the 1st) on 5 hits, walked 2, and struck out 4. Joe Sclafani went 2-5 and scored 3 times from the leadoff spot. After a .189 June, a .292 July has his average up to .262. Austin Elkins led off the 3rd with a homer (3) and added an RBI pop-fly single. Jesse Wierzbicki went 2-6 with an RBI and a 2-run single and added 2 steals (10). I hope Doyle1228 can chime in... is Wierzbicki really that fast? Or does he have good instincts? Tyler Heineman went 3-6 with a double, an RBI single, and an RBI groundout. Ryan Dineen hit a ground-rule double, and Jarrod McKinney had an RBI single. The ValleyCats got an uncharacteristically bad night from their bullpen. Travis Ballew got touched up for 2 runs in 2 innings, resulting in his ERA going from 0.42 to 1.21. Brad Propst allowed 4 runs (1 inherited) in the 8th, allowing the Renegades to tie the game at 9. Blake Ford technically had a scoreless outing, but he allowed one of Propst's runners to score. He allowed 2 hits and fanned 4 in 3 2/3 innings. Kenny Long got 2 outs, but allowed HV to score the winner in the 12th. The GCLstros blew it too. Juan Mojica allowed 3 in the 8th, and they lost 3-2 to the Marlins. Carlos Correa went 2-4 with a solo homer, his 2nd in as many days. The River had a triple. Two straight doubles from Teoscar Hernandez and Wallace Gonzalez brought them to 3-2, but they couldn't tie the game. Lance McCullers allowed 1 hit, walked 1, and struck out 3 in 3 scoreless innings. Brandon Culbreth walked 3, but he allowed only 1 hit and struck out 1 in 4 scoreless. Mojica failed, and Gera Sanchez struck out the 1st and only batter he faced. The Academy pushed a run across in the 9th to top the Cardinals 6-5. Jarico Reynoso went 2-3 with an RBI. Marlon Avea had the go-ahead RBI force out. Yoel Silfa went 1-2, drew 3 walks, and scored twice. Johan Arias went 6 innings and allowed 5 runs (3 earned) on 11 hits, walked 1, and struck out 8. Javier Saucedo threw 3 scoreless, allowing 2 hits, walking 1, and fanning 3.
